Angels’ pitching issues continue to take a toll in 5-2 loss to Rangers

The Angels boast an elite defense and a bullpen better than anyone expected. They will welcome back the world’s best ballplayer within a week to boost a lukewarm offense.

What they still lack is a starting pitcher capable of sustained excellence. Three months into 2017, they don’t possess a starter with an earned-run average even near the major league average. While their ability to remain relevant without Mike Trout has shocked many fans, industry insiders are more surprised because of that — the club’s complete dearth of successful starters.

Over time, the expectation was the deficiency would become apparent. On Saturday at Globe Life Park, Jesse Chavez (5-10) committed the latest misstep when he surrendered three runs over five tense innings in the Angels’ 5-2 loss to Texas.

“He had to work really hard to get through five,” manager Mike Scioscia said.

In recent days, the Angels have optioned their fourth and fifth starters to triple-A Salt Lake, so they’re carrying a three-man rotation in the last days of the first half. Chavez, Ricky Nolasco and JC Ramirez are the three they’re left with, and all are best suited for fifth starter or swingman roles.

But Garrett Richards, Matt Shoemaker, Andrew Heaney, Tyler Skaggs and Nick Tropeano are injured, and that is what the Angels have. That is what will probably be their undoing in a season otherwise strewn with positives.

Presented with a lack of depth in the offseason, the Angels opted to sign Chavez, a veteran without a track record of success but health in his past. They paid him $5.75 million plus incentives. Faced with the same situation, the Rangers chose right-hander Tyson Ross, a veteran without a track record of health but some noteworthy success in his past. They paid him $6 million plus incentives.

It was a tradeoff; Ross was still recovering from injury. Saturday was his fifth start of the season, and he did not dominate the Angels in his 52/3 innings of one-run baseball. He struck out three and walked two. But, when he is right, he still offers some potential to overwhelm an opponent.

“Tyson was effectively all over the place,” said Angels left fielder Cameron Maybin, his former teammate in San Diego.

To begin Saturday’s game, Maybin drew a leadoff walk. Before Ross delivered his second pitch to Kole Calhoun, he threw back to first base for a pickoff attempt and caught Maybin hoping to steal second. After failing to advance a man past first base Friday night, the Angels didn’t register an at-bat with a man in scoring position until Saturday’s fourth. They did not succeed in any of their four such chances.

“When push came to shove,” Scioscia said, “we didn’t get the key hit with some guys on.”

In the Rangers’ first, Shin-Soo Choo started with a single to right field. One out later, Nomar Mazara stroked a double to the same location. That brought in one run.

Yunel Escobar hit his first homer since May 9 to tie the score in the second inning.

Elvis Andrus began the third inning with a single. Mazara drilled a 106-mph liner to third, where Escobar caught it, but Adrian Beltre hit Chavez’s next pitch, a fastball down the middle, into the first row of seats past the left-field wall. Minus that missed location, the pitcher said, he was pleased with his outing.

“Against a guy that’s aggressive,” Chavez said, “you can’t have that happen.”

The two-run home run pushed Texas ahead for good. The Rangers added two runs in the sixth on a Robinson homer against Blake Parker.

The Angels fell three games out of American League wild-card contention and three games under .500 for the first time since April 24. Losers of five of their last six games, they’re on the verge of fading fast from relevance. Trout’s return will help stave it off, but no one position player can assuage their primary concern: the absence of good, healthy pitchers within the organization.

Their players remain convinced success is within their grasp.

“We haven’t had this type of week in a long time,” Chavez said. “It’s just about, how are we going to come out tomorrow?”

Short hops

In his third game on rehab assignment for Class-A Inland Empire and his first time playing the field, Trout doubled, grounded out and walked. He played five innings in center field. He is due to play again Sunday and Monday. Inland Empire is then off Tuesday. … Injured reliever Huston Street said he expects to be fit to return from his groin strain soon after the upcoming All-Star break. He may or may not require a one-game rehab assignment before being activated from the disabled list.

pedro.moura@latimes.com

Twitter: @pedromoura